to ask for the special ingredient...

[Aburg163]

you all add to your cooking. I have recently started eating a lot more after not being able to for a while and I spend all of my time in the kitchen. I'm sure I'll get bored eventually but for now cooking and eating is the best thing ever. I want to know, as I am getting more accustomed to all these wonderful recipes floating about online what your ultimate secret ingredient is. Not really an AIBU apologies but I'm so interested! For example I had someone reccomend a pint of beef stock for my tuna pasta bake. It was incredible but not something I'd have thought of. Share your secrets!

Garlic pepper

Fennel seeds

Freshly ground black pepper on strawberries

These are excellent! Thank you everyone for sharing I can't wait to try them!

Balsamic, mustard, black pepper added to Bisto Beef Gravy.

Easy salad dressing of avocado oil, white condiment, lemon juice, grated garlic, finely grated Parmesan, s & p.

Egg fried rice or Riced Cauli Egg fried rice add soy sauce when whisking the eggs.

Dress your salad! Salt, pepper, dressing...
salt on tomatoes makes them amazing

Marmite (I use the XO one) in stuff like beef stew, cottage pie. Small amount as it's salty

Nice salt and pepper go a long way. I like tellicherry peppercorns and carmargue sea salt

Cumin seeds to chilli con carne.

A little bit of powdered chocolate to bolognaise sauce.

Vinegar on vegetables like carrots, kale, broccoli and sprouts.

Ground black pepper on strawberry.

Delicious.

A little salt on watermelon or pineapple makes a big difference

Mushroom ketchup

Tin of oxtail soup in a beef stew.

At Uni, a flatmates Mum made the best lasagne I’ve ever tasted, she said it just had Basil in it, but I’ve tried dried ( not so good) and fresh Basil, ( much better) , but I’ve never made as good as hers.
It had a slight aniseed flavour I think

@SilverThread

At Uni, a flatmates Mum made the best lasagne I’ve ever tasted, she said it just had Basil in it, but I’ve tried dried ( not so good) and fresh Basil, ( much better) , but I’ve never made as good as hers. It had a slight aniseed flavour I think

Try Thai basil, that has an aniseed taste.

Plm

Nutmeg, pepper and a raw egg in mashed potatoes (the heat cooks the egg and it goes lovely and creamy).

Henderson’s Relish and soy sauce in Spag Bol.

@DukkaDukka is right, fish sauce to add umami. Not fishy at all. Goes in bolognese, casserole etc as well as the dishes you’d expect.

Samin Nosrat’s Netflix series (and book) called Salt Fat Acid Heat was really helpful to me in understanding acidity and salt in food beyond just knowing that most things need a squeeze of lemon or a pinch of salt

SilverThread try a pinch of star anise

This is a really good book if you fancied something to read for ideas
It goes through all the different flavours and pairing them
I need to buy myself a copy actually as this is my mums!

Honey mustard dressing drizzled over macaroni cheese is yummy it cuts through the richness of the cheese.

Balsamic vinegar in bolognaise
Bay leaf in rice
Nutmeg and cinnamon in banana bread cake

Small spoonful of sugar with tomato based sauces.

Weber Kickin’ Chicken sprinkled over anything. You might get it on Amazon, may have to import it from America, worth every Penny.

Square of 85% or higher dark chocolate in spag bol and chilli.

Heaped teaspoon of yeast extract in cheese sauce 😋

Also not really a secret but Sesame oil in any kind of stirfry or fried rice is a must

Splash of Maggi's Wurze liquid seasoning in soups, casseroles etc, lovely

Make lasagne with sausage meat instead of mince beef.